"root beer float" news and stories

Happy National Root Beer Float Day!

A combination of root beer, vanilla ice cream and the fluffy froth they create, root beer floats have been an American tradition since they first started appearing in the late 1800s, shortly after the root-heavy soda was first produced in 1880. According to lore, the float was created by Frank Wisner of Cripple Creek, Colorado, who claims to have been inspired by the snow-capped top of nearby Cow Mountain to plop a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the top of his root beer. The concoction was later dubbed "black cow" or "brown cow" by the town's children.

There's really nothing to making your own root beer float, but you can purchase it at numerous fast-food places like Sonic or A&W. But if you crave something beyond the traditional beverage, you can make root beer float granitas with the aid of your freezer. For solid desserts, try Smitten Kitchen's chocolaty root beer float cupcakes or adding root beer to white cake mix for a fluffy root beer cake.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

Photo: Root Beer Float/Very Culinary

Ronald Reagan was on to something when, in 1984, he designated the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day (as part of National Ice Cream Month), even if that something was merely giving us an excuse to eat more of the frozen goodness than we probably should. And Amy of Very Culinary was on to something when she decided that an old-fashioned root beer float was the perfect way to celebrate.

Like the soda floats of yesteryear, Amy's float is a simple but satisfying mix of chilled root beer, vanilla ice cream and the optional-but-always-pleasing whipped cream. While one could easily and quite happily down the entire thing -- especially on a hot summer day -- the four spoons seem to serve as a subtle reminder that such fine fare is best when shared with good friends. If your friends happen to not like root beer, try a cherry-flavored soda or -- for the over 21 crowd -- a dark stout. And don't blame us when your popularity skyrockets.

[Via Very Culinary]

It's a bit out of season, but I can't help loving these stainless steel straw spoons anyway. Exactly what they sound like, these are straws that have small spoon projections on one end that make it easy to scoop up ice cream or fruit from a cold milkshake, float or smoothie, but still give you the ability to sip the liquidy parts. Usually, you'll only see cheap plastic versions of these at 1950s-themed eateries (and the occasional convenience store), but because of the material used to make these, they are built to last for repeated uses. They're great to have on hand in the summer when you're more likely to indulge in an ice cream-based drink on a regular basis.

They're $10 for a package of four and would make a great gift with a set of sundae glasses, especially if the recipient is someone who really likes root beer floats.

Source

Root beer floats are fantastic, even if not all the products associated with them are. The combination of slightly peppery soda and creamy vanilla ice cream is hard to resist, so when I saw that Edy's/Dreyer's released a Root Beer Float ice cream, my initial reaction was "it's about time!" Then I saw that Breyer's has a Root Beer Float ice cream flavor out this summer, too. The difference between the two is that Dreyer's - which is limited edition - has vanilla ice cream with root beer flavored ice cream swirls, while Breyer's has vanilla with root beer sorbet swirls. Get them while you can - and try making a real root beer float with the ice creams for a double delicious summer treat.

I am disturbed that the slogan for The Fizz Cup is "Buy it. Try it. Die for it."

The cup makes root beer floats and no matter how good a root beer float is, it is hardly worth dying for.

The Fizz Cup screws onto the top of soda bottles and, using a straw that extends from the bottom of the bottle, though the cup and into your mouth, you can suck the soda up and create an instant root beer float. The advantage of using the cup is that it is highly portable, unlike a traditional homemade float in an open cup. Another selling point, according to the company, "It lets you have fun watching the soda and ice cream mix inside the dome lid, just like a volcano. Experience the science of fizz making with this special treat!"

Is a soda volcano worth dying for? No, and a mentos fountain is probably more exciting. Worth $10 + $6 S&H for a pack of 6? Maybe if you really need to take your floats to go.

Source